Autumns On the Spey

r part of the river, when a sudden fall in the barometer promised a change for the better. This expectation was encouraged by the fact that the wind had veered round to the north, the wet point in this part of Scotland, where the German Ocean performs the same duty as the Atlantic in the western and south-western portions of the island. Our hopes of a spate, however, were disappointed. The rain, it is true, fell over the Moray Firth and the adjacent districts, but seemed to have exhausted its treasures before reaching the Highlands to the south, where the lesser tributaries of the Spey, of late nearly dried up, derive their sources, and materially affect the state of the water.Nevertheless, although perfectly transparent, it appeared to have risen a few inches, quite sufficient, under the circumstances, to encourage the hopes of an ardent salmon-fisher; and it was with a secret feeling of satisfaction that I now found myself "told off" to the very part of the river that had been the scene of my previous disappointment. On this occasion I was accompanied by a young friend, whom I shall call A, and the boy Simon, who was to perform the duties of clipper for both of us; and, as we were likely to be employed in different pools during the day, we provided ourselves with shrill whistles, by the use of which we could summon him to our assistance as we might respectively require his services; the human voice being more easily drowned in the noise of the rapids. ...